Governance and structures in the reformed self-improving schools sector have received plenty of coverage in recent years but they can only be part of the way ahead. Attendees at Browne Jacobson's recent round table articulated the clear view that a school's system based on supported autonomy relied intrinsically on high quality, strong leaders and that it will be increasingly important for the education sector to consider a move away from traditional leadership models.

It was recognised by the panel that it is probably fair to say that most people who are now in leadership roles began their professional life as teachers, and then moved into leadership and shifted away from the classroom. However, the high stakes nature of the current landscape may now deter some talented future leaders from taking up key roles. Many outstanding head teachers do not have the capacity, ability or desire to become, in the words of the Academies Financial Handbook, 'senior executive leaders'.

However conversely in the case of others the new accountability regime may be the perfect breeding ground for developing a new breed of school leader and certainly the growth of academy groups means it is increasingly likely that some future leaders will be recruited from outside of the sector.

The panel also discussed how the traditional model of a substantive head teacher for each school or academy is coming under increasing pressure. It was observed that the system was "very wedded to the concept of a school being a building, no matter how many kids it has in it and that building has a headteacher". It was felt that the time had come for the sector to be far more visionary about how we use a hard pressed education budget to develop leaders who have the capacity to deliver the best outcomes for pupils.

Developing great leaders is not a short process and the panel were concerned that now is the time to set out a clearer plan at education sector level as to how future leaders will be supported and developed. Whilst many MATs understand that they need a leadership development strategy, there is now a pressing need for a sector driven leadership development strategy. Fundamentally, the panel agreed that while the sector needed to take the lead, it was vital that the Government played its proper role in supporting system change, including providing meaningful financial support to invest in system change.

Ultimately, two key and urgent questions for the sector are what leaders do we need and how do we get them and in terms of answering them the system cannot and must not just be left to work things out for itself out; rather the issue needs funding, focus and fostering.

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